A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing
This month’s article is about getting started with marketing. It’s written in a Q&A format, so you can read the article in any order. Start with the most relevant questions to you!
What is marketing?
Marketing is the mechanism of getting your message to your target market at the right place, and at the right time.
Why is marketing important?
It helps your business get in front of the very people you need. Marketing is there to sustain your business in the long-term.
You can have an amazing product or service that you know works. It could really benefit people. That’s irrelevant if no one knows it exists!
Marketing gets you in front of people.
What are the benefits of marketing?
Gaining visibility for your business and what you offer. Gaining customers.
You are investing in building awareness and consideration of your business. A carefully planned marketing strategy gives you a steady pipeline of potential customers who, if nurtured correctly, convert to customers and lifelong advocates. Marketing keeps your business engine running by ensuring you stay visible, active, and connected.
Is marketing important in an economic downturn?
Marketing spend is especially important in an economic downturn! Here’s the reason: it’s a strategy for greater future gains.
When money’s not flowing as readily, it can be tempting to cut marketing or view it as an unnecessary expenditure. Instead, try to see it as a long-term play.
Numerous studies have shown that businesses who continue to maintain or increase their ad spend during an economic downturn gain significant momentum, market share, and long-term profitability compared to those who cut back.
If we simply view marketing as a business expense, like we would view other aspects of running a business, it has a good chance of not only sustaining your business, but really boosting it.
What's the first thing I need to do?
Before you begin marketing answer these questions:
Do I have a defined and distinct message and language for my business?
Do I have a unique selling point that I can clearly articulate to potential customers?
Do I have a complete brand identity (logo, colour palette, typography)?
Tick these boxes and your potential customers are more likely to know what you stand for and what you can offer to them. They can connect this to your brand identity.
Without this critical connection, your business gets lost in a sea of similar businesses. Get in touch with us if you need help with this!
Can I do marketing for free?
Before you spend money on advertising, here are some free things you can do to boost your business presence:
Be active:You don't need a presence on every social media platform that exists, but try to be active on the accounts you do have.
Think about customer behaviour: Some customers will visit your Instagram account before ever looking at your website. Make sure your social media accounts have all the information a potential customer might want to know.
Optimise Google My Business:This is especially important for service-based businesses. Check your business information is correct, your social channels are connected, any services listed are correct, and generate reviews. Reply to reviews quickly and Google will thank you by helping your ranking!
Make content your friend: Posting content on your blog and social media accounts is free. You can gain a lot of mileage from one blog post. Cross-post this content your social channels to reach another audience. We'll publish another blog on that soon.
outside of digital advertising, is traditional advertising important?
Traditional advertising (Radio, Print, TV and Outdoor) can play an important role in the media-mix and can complement your digital marketing strategy. Going through a marketing strategy exercise would determine whether it is right for your business.
These mediums can work to drive long-term brand-building, hyper-local targeting, build trust and create wide visibility. They can also offer a unique tangibility to a brand that digital advertising cannot replicate.
I LOVE this exampleof outdoor advertising. You are immersed in a theatrical spectacle that creates a memorable and lasting impression.
However, for most small businesses, digital advertising remains a more cost-effective and accesible way to advertise.
How do I put this article into practice?
We’ll use an example. Let's say you are a local electrical business.
Start by setting up your website for success. When someone hits your website, what do you want them to do next? Is your unique selling point clear? Using a service requires a high level of trust. Do you have examples of your work, accreditations, and reviews?
Next, update your Google My Business account. Potential customers may go to your business listing first. They’ll read your reviews to gain some trust in your work.
Use your social media channels to show you are an active and credible business. This brings visibility to your business and helps reach people across - what we call - the marketing funnel. Invest time into Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Once those channels are humming, consider adding some marketing spend.
To distinguish yourself against competitors, leverage yourself (the business owner) as a thought-leader in your space. Put a face to your business and position yourself as having authority. This builds trust. It also humanises the approach, moving away from feeling 'salesy' to feeling more connected and in touch with helping your target base.
Can Kumeū Media help with marketing?
Yes, we’d love to!